Do I Need an Evacuation Chair?

For operators of any business or public space in the UK, legislation mandates that provisions must be in place to ensure that every occupant can quickly and safely evacuate the building. In the event of an evacuation due to a fire emergency, facilities such as lifts and escalators will be inaccessible, leaving stairs as the only means of escape in many buildings. This means that for many disabled individuals, safe evacuation will require specialised equipment like an evacuation chair. 

Which Legislation is Relevant?

There are two key pieces of legislation to consider when assessing your need for an evacuation chair. We'll outline both here, along with a few important points:

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

• This document outlines that the "responsible person" in any business or public service premises has a legal requirement to provide a safe means of exit for everyone on their premises.
• This includes employees, customers, visitors, and anyone else who may be present at any time.

The Equality Act 2010

• This document states "All businesses are required to ensure that their premises are accessible to persons who have mobility impairments".
• This means that reasonable adjustments must be made to ensure that any disabled or mobility-impaired person must be able to evacuate the building as safely as an able-bodied person. 

Who Will Need Help in an Emergency?

Mobility impairments that will require assistance in the event of an emergency may be visible or obvious, but this isn't always the case. Mental health issues, or even sudden injuries are often barriers to a safe emergency exit, and these factors must be considered in order to provide the safe and equal evacuation outlined in the above documentation.

The responsible person for a premises must also consider the needs of visitors, as they will pose an unpredictable level of need in an emergency. Staff, visitors and customers who suffer from any of the following may require assistance:

• Mobility impairment
• Pregnancy
• Elderly or infirm individuals
• Injury
• Wheelchair use
• Mental health issues (e.g. autism)
• Temporary incapacitation
• Bariatric or overweight individuals
• Amputation
• Disability
• Medication side effects

It's virtually impossible to ensure that any premises will not have to make consideration for any these circumstances, especially those premises with frequent visitors. Given that roughly 1 in five people in the UK live with a disability, having assistance on hand for traversal of stairs will almost always be a necessity.

Will an Evacuation Chair Fulfil the Legal Requirements?

Having evacuation chairs on-site will constitute a safe evacuation plan for disabled persons, given that:

• Staff are properly trained on their use
• A satisfactory number of chairs is available for the amount of people present
• The chairs are located in the correct locations near stairwells, exit routes, or vulnerable individuals
• The correct type of chair is available for each person in need

How Many Evacuation Chairs Will I Need?

To ensure you have enough chairs to facilitate a safe evacuation for all vulnerable individuals, we recommend an evacuation safety assessment is carried out by a qualified individual. To get an idea of how many chairs you will likely need for your premises, read our guide entitled How Many Evacuation Chairs Do I Need?

Which Evacuation Chair Do I Need?

For the majority of UK premises with standard staircases and no obstacles to safe evacuation, a standard one-person operation chair like the Evac+Chair 300H MK5 Evacuation Chair is a suitable option. However, a standard chair may not be suitable for a number of reasons, including:

• Larger users
• Basements or premises requiring ascending stairs for evacuation
• Spiral or narrow staircases
• Premises with staff unable to bear the weight of a standard chair

In these cases, among others, a different type of chair will be necessary. There are plenty of options available, and to better understand the type of chair you may require, read our article entitled Which Type of Evacuation Chair Do I Need? 

Will My Staff Require Training?

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order states that the responsible person for any premises must ensure that employees are provided with adequate safety training, which includes facilitating safe evacuations in the event of an emergency. That means for premises requiring the use of evacuation chairs, there must be those on the premises who are trained and able to competently operate them when needed.

We offer a range of training packages for evacuation chairs, ensuring individuals on your premises are capable of operating your evacuation chairs. You can see all the training packages we have available on our EvacuationChairs.co.uk Training Page.

Does My Chair Require Regular Maintenance?

As many evacuation chairs and other items of evacuation equipment are certified as Class 1 Medical Devices, it is recommended they are regularly serviced to ensure safe operation during an emergency. This requirement is detailed within the PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations) Regulation in the UK. 

You can see the maintenance and servicing packages we have available in our Servicing and Maintenance section.